Setwork gauge for sawmills



June 5, 1951 A. HAHUS SETWORK GAUGE FOR SAWMILLS Filed Dec 2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 5, 1951 A. HAHUS SETWORK GAUGE FOR SAWMILLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1946 Inventor Alvin Hahus QM and Patented June 5, 1951 SETWORK GAUGE FOR SAWMILLS Alvin Hahus, Oriole, 1nd, assignorof thirty-three and one-third per cent to James M. Etienne,

Mount Pleasant, Ind.

Applicaticn'December 2, 1946, Serial No. 713,589

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in gages for sawmills of the type used lforsawing logs longituclinally.

The invention is designed with the primary object in view of providingan accuratelgage for mounting on the log carriage of :such sawmills to indicate where to begin sawing off boards of different thicknesses from a log and where to stop so as to leave on the log :carr-iage a core of predetermined thickness.

Another object is to provide a device of the character and for the purpose above set forth which is simple in construction, easy to install on such saw carriages, will not readily get out of order, and is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other and subordinate objects also comprehended by my "invention, together with the precise nature :of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference :to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

'Figure 1 "is a view in end elevation of ca logcarriage of a sawmill equipped with my improved gage in a preferredembodiment thereof, the gage being shown in front elevation.

iFigure2 is a view in front elevation of the casing partly broken'away and shown in section and drawn'to a larger scale.

Figure ,3 is a view in front-elevation of the dial disk with the setting arm thereon.

Figure '4 is a-view :in transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 and'drawn .to alarger scale.

Figure 5 Ba view in rear elevation "of thegage drawn to a larger scale and partly broken away and shown'in section.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section of the lower'end, of the tubularguide-and showing the roller bracket and :the roller with the pull cable trained around the same.

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of the indicator hand.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, my invention has been shown therein-as forming an attachment for the usual log carriage I of a sawmill, illustrated conventionally as sufficient to a proper understanding of the invention, the log carriage I being adapted to travel on tracks, not shown, to feed a log 2 endwise to a disk saw 3. As is well known, such log carriages carry thereon relativelyfixed head blocks-one of which is shown at 4,each with a sliding knee, ,as at 5,

thereon, the knees being adjustable in unison, by means not shown, toward the saw 4 into different set positions to feed the IOg'Z laterally different distances so as to set the log up to said saw to,

vary the thickness of boards to be cut from said log. Holding dogs, as atfi, for the log 2 are vertically adjustable on upright rack bars, as at l, on the knees 5 and serve to hold the log 2 against the knees .5. Means, not shown, on the log carriage provide for turning the log 2 into 9.0 angular positions for cutting of boards from the four sides of the same. The head .block 4 and knee 5 shown in thedrawing'sare located at the far end of the g carriage =1, from the endshown in Figure 1 which is mentioned in passing for a reasonpresentlyiclear.

The gage of my invention includes a circular, fiat-sided casing 8 comprising .a front circular face plate 9 formed with a reduced, concentric, rear annular flange III), a cylindrical, axial hub H within-said flange H3, and a rear, circular, rotatable closure plate t2 having a circumferentially grooved lateral flange l3 rotatably fitted over the flange ill, said closure plate 12 being formed with an axial huh l4 rotatably fitted over the hub H, and 'said closure plate being further formed with an axial stud i 5 extended forwardly through the hub II .and rotatably fitted therein.

A radial bracket arm it depends from the rear sideof athegface plate ,9 and by means of which, and bolts ll, the casing S 'is fastened in upright position to the rack bar 1 .to "face the log carriage i in a plane transverse thereto so that the face plate '9 is visible .by an operator standing alongside said carriage.

A relatively smaller diameter, circular dial disk :18 is recessed 'into the front side of the face plate 9 concentrically thereof and tor rotation therein and through which the stud I5 is rotatably extended.

A radial, straight-edge setting arm 19 suitably fixed to the front face of the dial disk 18 provides for setting said dial disk rotatab'ly for a purpose presently apparent. A retractable spring-pressed detentbolt -20 slidable in an-outer end loop 2| on the setting arm [9 is provided for snap action engagement with peripheral detent notches 22 in the face .plate -51 to hold said dial disk 18 set.

A circular series -of graduations 23, represent.

ing inches, are provided on the front 'of the face plate '9, radially thereof, and around the dial disk [8, and with which the notches 212 register. The graduations2-3 are numbered fromzero at the top of the face plate :9 inascending :con-

series 26, 36 being representative of one inch and two inches, respectively, and being so designated, as at 3I, 32. The intermediate series 21, 28, 29 are representative of one and a different fraction of inches, respectively, and are correspondingly designated, as at 33, 34, 35. The graduations 26 to 30 are staggered relatively to avoid confusion in reading the same.

A pull cable 36 is wound around the flange I3 of the rear closure plate I2 with one end fast to said flange, said cable being extended downwardly from said flange through a tubular guide 31 depending from the flange I6 of the casing I alongside the knee 5. The tubular guide 31 is provided with a lower-roller mounting bracket 38 with a roller 39' thereon around which the pull cable 36 is trained and extended rearwardly therefrom alongside the knee 5 with the other end thereof connected by an eye bolt 40 and wing nut M to a bracket 42 bolted, as at 43, to the rear end of the head block 5. As

will be seen, from an inspection of Figure 4,1

the pull cable 36 is arranged to rotate the rear closure plate 12, when the knee 5 is adjusted forwardly and to thereby rotate the indicator hand 25, the direction of rotation being clockwise as viewed from the front of the gage.

A coil spring 44, in the casing I, with the ends thereof suitably fastened to the hub I4 and to the front face plate 9, as at 45, 46, opposes such clockwise rotation of the closure plate I2 and indicator hand 25.

Suitable fasteners, as at 41, are provided for securing the tubular guide 31 to the knee 5.

Referring now to the use and operation of the described invention. Assuming that it is desired to cut a log, of any diameter within limits presently apparent, into one-inch boards and to leave a core, or tie 9 in. by 7 in. in cross section, the dial disk I8 is set clockwise, as viewed from the front of the gage, by means of the setting lever I9 until the straight edge 24 of said lever registers with the graduation 23 numbered 9 on the face plate 9, and with the knees 5 retracted and the log 2 positioned for lateral feed to set the same up to the saw 3, step by step. The log 2 is now set up to the saw 3 and a few slabs or boards sawed'off the front side thereof to obtain a proper face on said side. During this setting up, as the knees 5 are adjusted forwardly, a pull is exertedon the pull cable 36 which rotates, in a manner previously described, the indicator hand 25 clockwise over the dial disk I8. When suflicient face has been obtained on the log 2, said log is turned on the head blocks 4 through an angle of 180 with the face obtained flat against the knees 5. The log 2 is again set up until the setup is sufficient to obtain a face on the now front side thereof and such setting up is stopped when the leading edge 41 of the indicator hand 25 registers with the first graduation 26 adjacent to the same and located forwardly of the setting arm I9. Boards are now sawed off with a thicknessof one inch 4 gaged by setting up the log 2 to the saw until the leading edge 4! of the indicator hand 25 registers with successive graduations 26 of the inch representing series and such sawing off of boards is continued until the leading edge 41 of the indicator hand 25 is aligned with the edge 24 of the setting arm I9. At this point, the sawing is stopped and a core, or tie 9 in. thick one way is left on the knees 5. The log is next turned through an angle of 90 on the head 'blocks 4 to present an unsawed side to the saw 3. The; setting arm I9 is then set clockwise to register the edge 24 thereof with the graduation in the series 26 numbered 1 on the face plate, and the operations described in the foregoing relative to setting up the log 2 and sawing off boards from the same is repeated. The log 2 is then again turned through an angle of 180 on the head blocks 4 to present the remaining unsawed side thereof to the saw 3 and the setting up and sawing operations again repeated as described, and at the termination of which the core, or tie on the head blocks 4 is left with a thickness of 7 in. between two opposite sides thereof and a thickness of 9 in. between the other two sides of the same.

Obviously, by registering the setting arm I9 with selected graduations of'the series 23 and utilizing the graduations 21, 28, 29, 36, otherwise following the operations described, the width of boards of other thicknesses may be accurately gaged and cores of different widths obtained.

As will, of course, be understood, to attain cores or ties of different thicknesses by operation of the invention as described, the series of graduations 23 are arranged so that when the setting armi is registered with a selected one of the series, and the indicator hand 25 is aligned with said hand, as described, the knee 5 will be positioned from the saw 3 a distance corresponding in 'inches to the number of inches represented by the selected graduation in the series, plus, of course, the thickness of the saw 3 for each inch of distance.

A portion of each series of graduations '26 to 30, immediately in front of the setting arm I9,

is colored as represented at 49-, 55, EI, 52, 53, to the first graduation in front of said arm. This is in the nature of a safety provision for preventing an operator from starting a sawing operation while the indicator hand 25 is between the setting arm I9 and the first graduation on the dial disk I8 in front of said arm.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my inventionwithout further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing'from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: v

1. The combination with the knee of e a sawmill carriage movable across the carriage step by step for setting a log relative to the sawmill, of means for predetermining the number and degree of steps of movement of said .knee to cut boards of different width from the log and a core of v a predetermined thickness comprising a circular plate mounted on said knee with an edge series of graduations thereon numbered in correspondence with different thicknesses of cores to be cut, a dial on said plate having circular concentric series of graduations thereon for gaging different thicknesses of boards to be cut, and being rotatably settable into difierent positions in accordance with different thicknesses of cores to be cut, a dial setting arm fast thereon and movable into registration with the edge graduations selectively in accordance with the thickness of a core to be cut, an indicator sweep hand, a grooved circular member rotatably mounted on said plate and carrying said hand, and a pull cable wound on said member and connected to said carriage to impart intermittent rotation to said member upon step-by-step movement of said knee for swinging said hand over said dial step-by-step into registration with said graduations successively whereby to gauge the thickness of boards to be cut and align said hand with said arm when a core of predetermined thickness has been cut.

2. The combination with the knee of a sawmill carriage movable across the carriage step by step for setting a log relative to the sawmill, of means for predetermining the number and degree of steps of movement of said knee to cut boards of difierent width from the log and a core of a predetermined thickness comprising a circular plate mounted on said knee with an edge series of graduations thereon numbered in correspondence with different thicknesses of cores to be cut, a dial on said plate having circular concentric series of graduations thereon for gaging difierent thicknesses of boards to be cut, and being rotatably settable into different positions in accordance with different thicknesses of cores to be cut, a dial setting arm fast thereon and movable into registration with the edge graduations selectively in accordance with the thickness of a core to be cut, an indicator sweep hand, a grooved circular member rotatably mounted on said plate and carrying said hand, a pull cable wound on said member and connected to said carriage to impart intermittent rotation to said member upon step-bystep movement of said knee for swinging said hand over said dial step-by-step into registration with said graduations successively whereby to gauge the width of boards to be cut and align said hand with said arm when a core of predetermined thickness has been cut, and a spring connected to said plate and member to tension the member against rotation.

ALVIN HAHUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 440,388 Beard Nov. 11, 1890 751,405 Palmer Feb. 2, 1904 7923, 106 Trout June 27, 1905 949,068 Garland Feb. '15, 1910 1,412,797 Biedermann Apr. 11, 1922 1,440,650 Walton Jan. 2, 1923 1,786,776 Pelton Dec. 310, 1930 2,373,486 Love Apr. 10, 1945 

